Are You a Follower - Really? - Part B

It's one thing to say you are something when you're not my great concern is those who claim to be Christ followers have no concept Lordship so hey when is the Lord part submission woke up to collect was given a weaker division is rather interesting.

Just village fans identify with their teen. They were the team colors.

They know all the players by name. They would use the inclusive term we as the other part of the team and all that happens on the field.

In short, it's never hard to spot a true fan of any sports that well today emphatically Skip weekend division Skip Heitzig points out that is a follower of Jesus that you be also true of us as Christians will get to the study started here just a month. But first, we have a great new resource for you this month. connectwithskip.com Julie in the midst of hardship is a hallmark of the Christian life but is possible to use linear heights. Sometimes what that is the happy tank into a really daunting browed and we have to figure out how to navigate.

A lot of times God's purpose in allowing trial is to get the opportunity to grow to the point where we genuinely experience joy in the midst of trial.

Learn how to face trials with courage, wisdom, and yes joy with Linda's booklet happy trials and when you give $20 or more today to help keep this Bible teaching ministry on the will send you a special bundle of three booklets by Linda happy trials don't tempt me and speak no evil and I handed the keys to unlock the thought circumstances and fears that can cause you to give into temptation and speak no evil.

I encourage you to avoid setting fires with your word and instead use them to bring showers of blessing get your bundle of three booklets when you get $20 or more by: 800-922-1880. Get online secure connectwithskip.com/off today through John chapter will open your Bible showing Skip Heitzig for more than a study the word angry man no means by, or remain steady state. It's a keyword because in John chapter 15. That's what Jesus describes discipleship with that word meant no applied in me and I will abide in you is the branch of the vine abide together and you will by abiding bring forth fruit. That's the word for staying or were you stay so what the disciples are are doing. When Jesus what you want is their answer by saying were you staying because we like to come closer and abide with you and and get more information directly from you.

That's what they were asking want to hang out with Jesus. They want further instruction and I love it. Jesus says in verse 39 he said to them, come and see he didn't give them information and so to go down the street, turn left at the third block was the last house on the right set of information he gives them an invitation to come and say check it out says they came in they saw Jesus invitation is met by their submission before I get into that is what I just want you to look up right here. This little nugget in this verse is a beautiful portrait of discipleship. This what it's like you come to Jesus for whatever reason your searching your lonely or hurting and and and at whatever stage for whatever reason you come to Jesus, but then what happens is you read your Bible's you start to hear his voice in the word of God and see him more clearly and you move from coming to Christ to abiding in Christ there is intimacy there is depth and I would say Jesus today is bidding us to do that to abide with him to grow close to him because nothing will satisfy us like that, but once you look back at the text. Notice the difference is there's not much between what Jesus says and what they did what Jesus said was comment see now notice the next sentence they came and saw what is that tell me it tells me that Jesus invitational command was met by their obedience to the command, he said, they came, he said, see, they saw and that's because that's what disciples will do.

True disciples will do what he said to disciples will go why what's new artist first made and I want right now to disciples will submit. In fact, I'll put it to you more strongly.

The real test of a disciple is submission.

While can you tell if a person really does not really easy. Are they submitting to his commands is pretty cut and dry. Pretty simple. It's really the proof in Luke chapter 6 Jesus will say, why do you call me Lord, and you don't do the things that I tell you okay don't apply that at some point in following Jesus Christ at some point in our Christian walk would have to deal with this concept called Lordship. I know you've heard of that Lordship means he's the boss means he gets to call the shots. He's in charge. God is in our copilot you give him the keys he runs the thing we have to come to grips with this thing called Lordship and when the most beautiful things you could ever say is Jesus is Lord we even saying that in our songs. I love you Lord and I lift my voice. Fairest Lord Jesus awesome Lord. However, there can be. Unfortunately, a difference between our formal theology and our practical theology that can be compartmentalize what we say we believe and what we really believe and be miles apart. So here's the deal and see if you agree with this. If Jesus is your Lord only on Sunday but not on Monday night and Tuesday, not Wednesday, Thursday, not Friday night or Saturday to Sunday then is he Lord, you have to be honest you have to say will. He's 1/7 Lord is Lord that day, but the test of discipleship is obedience is possible to believe something, but really believe something else.

I love the story about the little goat who said he was a lion course he was sly and he was. It was a go but he said he was a lion because deep in his heart, he wanted to be a lion and so he he believed that if he could talk and walk and go reliance go, but he be a lion so he practiced every day. First day decide I'm to learn to walk majestically like a lion, so you would try to have that majestic gate that a lion has in the jungle you picture a goat with a little swishy tail and trying to be a lion if you believe that he was doing pretty good job of is walking like a lion.

The next day okay got get the roar down. I got a learn to talk like a lion so that pitiful little and delete you try to know roar and adjust was horrible but he thought it was pretty good. So the next day thought okay I'm going to walk like lions walk. I'm going to talk like lions talk if I just now go where lions go to the next day at 12 noon lunch time he went where lions went.

End of story and the goat because it's one thing to say you are something when you're not something my great concern is those who claim to be Christ followers and have no concept of Lordship so hey when is the Lord partake in submission disciples respond to his commands is the third characteristic I don't want you to miss this because we were tempted to miss this look at the end of verse 39 notice in parentheses it says now it was about the 10th hour. Who cares what time it is. It's funny that it is the first time the disciples see Jesus is the Lamb of God. All of this great step by the way, material, timeless, and if you ask questions of the Bible and you should you should say what's this about me tell you what it's about. First of all some of your Bibles might say 4 o'clock in the afternoon disregard that. That's because those particular translators believe that John was reckoning time. According to Jewish time when he's not his is reckoning.

According to him, a Roman time which was 10 o'clock in the morning Matthew, Mark, and Luke do all of their timing by Jewish time, but John doesn't buy Roman time and that solves a lot of problems in the gospel.

Oh and by the way, it says they went where he was staying and remain with him that day if it's 4 o'clock in the afternoon is not much of a day left was 10 in the morning which I believe it was you got that day to hang out with Jesus back to the point, who cares what day it is record what time it is will who wrote the gospel John who was the other disciple not mentioned John give me a little heads up.

In verse 40 were told who one of the disciples is it's Andrew and he read a little bit later in the third guy is Peter Andrews brother, but there's this unnamed other disciple that I submit to you is John because John never names himself and, moreover, he puts the time down. Who cares. John cares. John wrote it's 10 o'clock in the morning because John remember what happened one January morning at 10 o'clock.

His life changed one. January morning and it was 10 o'clock.

Johnson will never forget it when he wrote John it was 60 years after this event, but it was to him like yesterday. I never forget was 10 o'clock it was 10 o'clock was the dividing point in my life and I met Jesus Christ, and everything changed in a beautiful and it was 10 in the morning as he wrote it and he experienced it is the fourth characteristic of discipleship, it is mission. Mission is the principal disciples want to make other disciples. Verse 41 of the two who heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, we have found the Messiah, which is translated, the Christ, I read that you like. We typically read it but you think that he said it like that. Do you think he said alike that you think having found the Messiah for 4000 years every Jewish person to Wendy for the Messiah and is convinced Jesus the Messiah. Do you think he went up and said we found the Messiah cola. No, I said we found that guy Messiah the machine off of the Old Testament, the machine hot in Aramaic decreased us in Greek, the anointed one. What an exciting moment. What a wonderful statement. We found the Christ and verse 42 he brought him to Jesus is what I love about Andrew. He couldn't keep it to himself. He had to tell somebody that's what disciples do disciples. One other disciples goes back to his own family tells Peter, just a little hint about Andrew.

Every time you find Andrew in the Gospels. You know what you can find them doing bring people to Jesus. He was the disciple who found the boy with four loaves and two fish and brought him to Jesus. He is the guy who in chapter 12 takes a group of Greek seekers and bring them to Jesus as I love Andrew because unfortunately he's always known as Simon Peter's brother is an Simon Peter shadow because we all know about Peter but Andrew don't think much about. He didn't say much exceeded right any books in preaching the great sermons. But he always brought people to Jesus. Beautiful, beautiful story mission and he went first to his own family members that make sense. I did that I did not. Peter responded, my family was not quite as apt to do that. I remember it was San Jose, California. It was in July I had prayed to receive Christ. I was so excited and I thought or solace to tell my mom and dad there can be so happy as are so worried about me thinking such a flake and I got off the deep inner to be so thrilled when I tell my mother follower of Jesus, tell my brothers are to be so excited. What was I in for shock. I told him that I met Jesus and my parents said I met nice I my brother said what you that's my friends wanted nothing to do with me, but the greater point I want to make is this, there seems to be almost an automatic chain reaction when a true disciple is pursuing Jesus.

He just has to tell other people. He wants to spread the good news and tell people about Jesus. By the way, you know what the word Andrew means means manliness.

He was no wimp.

He was a fisherman blue-collar worker work with his brother and his dad in the sea of garlic. It was a man's man and is bringing people to Jesus real man aren't ashamed to tell others about Jesus and this man was telling his brother about now. I just mentioned a point to go about the difference between formal theology and practical theology and how we want to bring them together as we grow in Christ.

We want to bring what we believe in our heads doctrinally cerebral. He and live practically that now every Christian loves the gospel you ask any Christian who is a Christian you love the gospel. I love the gospel. I love the story of how God came out of heaven and died for my sins and rose from the dialogue that but a disciple wants to share that I disciple is never content to go to heaven alone was to spread the news mission that's 1/4 characteristic is the fifth and final characteristic in our paragraph, trance formation, transformation, and here's the principal disciples don't stay in a rut. They grow they grow.

That means today are growing in next week will be growing in a year from now you be growing in Christ.

Verse 42, after he brought them to Jesus.

I look at this now when Jesus looked at him.

He said you are Simon the son of you now. You shall be seekers which is translated a stone Jesus looked at Simon. How did he look at Simon or Howdy look at what we don't know. Actually we do know is the word is very descriptive. In Greek it means he looked intently. He gazed you might say. He stared at him. How would that feel first time in a Jesus pages.

I don't this low you could translated Jesus saw right through Peter retail, what's going on. Jesus sees Peter as he is, but he also sees Peter as what he'll become is what he'll become not just who he is now, but what he will become when he is transformed and changed. Notice the wording you are Simon you shall be see fits which is Aramaic for Petross in Greek or a small stone or rock. Now Simon was his birth name.

That's what his dad and mom called Simon. Everybody called him Simon.

Jesus meets him and says I'm renaming you, you get a new name you get a Jesus name Rocky your chip off the old rock. Now if you know Peter and most of you do you know the stories of Peter. This was not his personality wasn't rocksolid at all.

He was maybe Sandy would've been a better term for he shifted like sand through his whole I write because remember, Matthew 16, he was the guy who said he got the answer right. You are the Christ, the son of the living God. But then right after that when Jesus said he was going to be betrayed in Jerusalem and die Peter steps forward was no way, Lord. That's not going to happen to you. When Jesus says, get behind me Satan because I'm getting an a on the test of flunking it. He goes from being Rocky to Sandy was his whole life on the Mount of Transfiguration member the story Jesus is transfigured with Moses and Elijah member was disciple was the first want to talk Peter and what he said some really really profound ready, Peter sees a ghost. It is good that we are here is that the this is cool and then he goes let's build three condominiums right here right now Tabernacles is Bible word one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah and God has to interrupt him and say this is my beloved son, listen to him. In other words, Peter in the garden of Gethsemane, who was the tried to defend Jesus with the sword. Peter, aren't you glad he was a fisherman not a swordsman I'm know you try to cut off his head. He missing that is here I was Peter, and on the rooftop in Joppa. Acts chapter 10 Peter is there any sees a vision of a sheep being led down from heaven with four-footed Beeson and the Lord gives him a commandment Peter rise kill and eat, and in his sweet, submissive tone. Peter goes not so, Lord, not so, Lord. Again, Peter went as Lord to Ken, but that was Peter.

Over time, before he became what Jesus anticipated he would become rocksolid.

He was Sandy until he became Rocky took a long, long, long time but aren't you encouraged by the aren't you encouraged by the fact that when Jesus looks at people.

He sees the potential, he just doesn't see us for who we are.

He knows that he sees what will become. You are this you will be that that's transformation that is transformation because what happened to Peter while he became a leader in the early church. He became the author of two New Testament epistles.

He became the source for the gospel of Mark.

He preached on Pentecost, and he had such a rocksolid faith and rocksolid commitment that he was crucified upside down and did not denies Apra appropriately named the rock. Jesus anticipated that transformation disciples don't stay in a rut. They grow and I'm glad that Jesus knows what I'm becoming. I love that process, close with something right out of this book again. Juan Carlos Ortiz, as I think it sums up everything we've been saying this morning in this paragraph the author is referring to the words of Jesus when he said in the book of Revelation.

I wish that you were cold or hot and not lukewarm because if you are lukewarm all spew you out of my mouth so the author writes this. Excuse me for this illustration, but it comes from Jesus himself.

What things do we vomit their things that we won't digest if something is digested it doesn't come back up vomited. People are people who refused to be digested by the Lord Jesus Christ and digestion means getting lost your finished your life ends your transformed into Jesus you are unmistakably associated with him here in Argentina we have very good stakes. Let's imagine that the stay comes to my stomach and the gastric juices come along to dissolve it and they say to the state. Good evening, how are you and the state provides find what you want and they say what we have come to dissolve you to transform you into Juan Carlos Ortiz. I suppose the stake says no, wait a minute now it's enough that he ate me but to disappear completely. No, I'm in his stomach, but I want to stay stay. I don't want to lose my individuality. I want to maintain my stake citizenship will so there's a fight. Suppose the stake wins in the gastric juices let him remain a steak in my stomach very soon. That state will be vomited out but if the gastric juices when the fight. The stake loses its personality and becomes me and then he puts in parenthesis before I ate the stake. It was an unknown cow behind the hill. Nobody paid any attention to, but now because it is dissolved, it gets to write a book. I leave that with you more. Your dissolved into Christ and lose you and become dominated by an alien will the more school you will become to God's kingdom. Well, I bet you never would say quite the same way again. Then it is a good illustration of what it means to truly be a follower Jesus. Some people fear that becoming a Christian means losing themselves. The truth is when we become a Christian were disciple of Christ. We truly follow Jesus. That's when we really find ourselves and who we were really meant to be that something you'd like to do, but are quite sure how to take that first step. Let us help you give us a call at 1-800-922-1888 will tell you how to begin.

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